Three lightly steamed vegetables to be eaten with Thai chilli dips such as Nam phrik num and Nam phrik ong. At the top of the photo are the young leaves of a certain type of acacia tree; below that is okra; at the bottom are the flowers of Sesbania grandifloraPhotograph by: Takeaway

General Information

Sesbania grandiflora is a short-lived, soft-wooded, loosely-branching tree with a rather open crown; it can grow 8 - 15 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 25 - 30cm in diameter[

A botanical publication. It contains a treatment of the littoral members of the genus Sesbania. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

].
A true multi-purpose tree, providing a range of foods, medicines, timber, gum and tannins, mainly for local use. The plant is cultivated in many tropical areas as an ornamental, a green manure crop, in soil reclamation schemes and for its many useful properties[

Habitat

A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.

].

Properties

Weed Potential

Yes

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Other Uses Rating

Habit

Deciduous Tree

Height

12.00 m

Growth Rate

Fast

Pollinators

Birds

Cultivation Status

Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Sesbania grandiflora is well adapted to hot, humid environments in the lowland tropics[

An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.

].
Widely cultivated in the tropics as an ornamental, where it is valued especially for its long, flowering display. The plant is a prolific producer of seeds, leading to a lot of litter under the tree and a tendency to produce seedlings in unwanted places. It has escapd from cultivation in some areas and become naturalized. It is considered to be invasive in some Pacific islands[

A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.

A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.

The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.

].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[

A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.

A very detailed booklet, produced in PDF format on the internet, giving information on around 100 species of trees.

]. It is not highly regarded as a fuel because it smokes excessively when burning. Having a weight of only 500 kg/square metre, it burns rapidly without much heat. But the tree's fast growth and availability within a year of planting make it a locally popular fuel wood[

An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.

]. The wood should be well dried, as it deteriorates in storage and becomes corky, dusty and unfit for burning. Its calorific value is 17.91 MJ/kg, with a high ash content (6%) and low percentage of carbon (11.7%)[

].. Scarification can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[